This is the Way and the Only Way

Employment of the famous story of "the Blind Men and the Elephant" by some philosophers of religion in religious pluralism discourses, which is originally brought up first in the texts of Jainism and then Buddhism, can lead to the misunderstanding that it is possible to infer religious pluralism in the teachings of Jainism and Buddhism, or at least some backgrounds for referring to pluralism are recognizable in these religions. In this article, pluralism is intended to mean that religious variety and plurality existing in the world is not the consequence of various errors by the founders and authorities of different religions, and that the followers of any religion, according to their own procedure of discovering truth, can really attain the truth and thus, the authority of no religion can believe that only he has attained the ultimate truth and others, if not follow his suggested religious procedure, have gone wrong. While examining the epistemological foundations of Jainism and Buddhism, it will be clarified in this article that in both of these religions incomplete cognitions (ma‘ārif) are placed before an absolute and perfect cognition and that the knowledge of the one who achieves the final stage of cognition is above all incomplete cognitions. Furthermore, it is stated that there can be an end to the relativity of cognition and the one who rightfully fares the "way" can get rid of the incomplete and relative cognitions. On the other hand, it is shown in this article that no clear concept of religious pluralism can be recognized in the main teachings of each of these religions and in the sayings of their founders and teachers of the path.